The American poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox famously wrote, "Laugh, and the world laughs with you . . ." In the early 1950s, the American sound engineer Charles Douglass decided to apply this idea to prime time television programming. He invented the "laugh track," a sampling of prerecorded chuckles, giggles, and belly laughs that are mixed into a comedy show's sound track to prompt similar reactions in viewers. Like many of the other technological innovations described in "Six Things You Never Knew About Television," the laugh track was intended to make television viewing more familiar and appealing. Since the earliest TV audiences were more accustomed to live performances, Douglass created the laugh track to mimic the experience of laughing along with a live audience. Here's a clip of the laugh track in action during an episode of the popular 1950s sitcom The Trouble with Father.
I wonder if I can see some of these simulated necklaces, while I'm waiting.
Why, yes sir. This is one of our best sellers. Only $79.95.
$79.95, huh? I'll take it.
Good.
You know, to tell you the truth I can't tell the difference between the real and simulated myself.
Well, that's perfectly understandable. A good many people can't. But I assure you, sir, there's quite a difference. Here. Here, let me show you.
Notice the delicate pink overtones on the soft white background. A rose, we call it. Each pearl has perfect symmetry, with a balanced gradation toward the back of the necklace. I assure you Mr. Erwin, this is a rare bargain at $1,500.
If you say so, that's good enough for me. Now if you'll just have the clasp fixed, I'll write you out a check.
Yes, sir.
How does the laugh track in this clip provide cues about the source of the scene's humor?
The laugh track helps alert the audience to the dramatic irony of the scene. The lady thinks the man is buying the authentic pearl necklace, while the laugh track tells us he's buying the cheap imitation pearls instead.
The history of the laugh track highlights an important intersection between technology and culture. When Charles Douglass used his machines to simulate real human interaction, he wanted viewers to bond with an audience that did not actually exist. The article below, "Laughing Together, Alone," explores the evolution of the laugh track and describes how it has been embraced, rejected, and appropriated by television producers over the years. As you read the first two paragraphs of this article, pay attention to the writer's choices related to language and structure. What makes the article different from "Six Things You Never Knew About Television"?
Laughing Together, Alone: How the Laugh Track and the Laff Box Shaped TV Viewing
A highly social species, human beings naturally gravitate toward shared experiences, and laughter may be the most universal of these. According to Professor Robert Provine, author of Laughter: A Scientific Investigation, laughing together "bonds us through humor and play" and reinforces a sense of belonging. In the United States and other developed nations, television has helped to establish what is—or is supposed to be—funny. For more than sixty years, millions of viewers have laughed along with primetime situational comedies or "sitcoms," Saturday morning cartoons, and variety shows like The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live.
Few Americans realize, though, how much our experience of television owes to the development of the "laugh track" by Charles Roland Douglass in the early 1950s. Typically, a comedy's laugh track is recorded during filming of the show and then edited before the show airs. Laugh tracks can take several different forms: they may simply enhance the reactions of a live studio audience, or they may be used to change the reaction the audience seems to be having to a scene. In some cases, a laugh track even takes the place of an audience.
Think about how this article is organized so far, and how it presents its subject matter. Use the activity below to compare its structure and tone to the web article you read on the previous page.
Why do you think the author of "Laughing Together, Alone" chose not to organize the article's ideas in the form of a list? Which is the best explanation?
A list is better for a quick, informal overview of some interesting facts related to a topic, but for true analysis you need a more developed structure.
A list is better for a quick, informal overview of some interesting facts related to a topic, but for true analysis you need a more developed structure.
A list is better for a quick, informal overview of some interesting facts related to a topic, but for true analysis you need a more developed structure.
A list is better for a quick, informal overview of some interesting facts related to a topic, but for true analysis you need a more developed structure.
How does the tone of "Laughing Together, Alone" compare to the tone of "Six Things You Never Knew About Television"?
Instead of a short, casual list of loosely related facts, this essay promises to be well organized and present logical ideas supported by evidence. This approach gives the article a more formal tone.
Instead of a short, casual list of loosely related facts, this essay promises to be well organized and present logical ideas supported by evidence. This approach gives the article a more formal tone.
Instead of a short, casual list of loosely related facts, this essay promises to be well organized and present logical ideas supported by evidence. This approach gives the article a more formal tone.
Which sentence describes some aspect of the intersection between technological advances and cultural change?
This sentence asserts that television does more than simply reflect back the humor of American society--it actually helps shape the audience's sense of humor.
This sentence asserts that television does more than simply reflect back the humor of American society--it actually helps shape the audience's sense of humor.
This sentence asserts that television does more than simply reflect back the humor of American society--it actually helps shape the audience's sense of humor.
You got # out of # correct. Click the Retry button for another attempt.
You got a perfect score. Great job!
